Anilkumar Bolla, a 29-year-old Indian expat living in Abu Dhabi, has become the first person to win the UAE Lottery’s record Dh100 million jackpot. He’s only been in the UAE for about a year and a half and beat odds of over 8.8 million to win the 23rd Lucky Day Draw held on October 18.
In his first interview, Bolla shared how his winning numbers came from a mix of luck and sentiment. He used an Easy Pick for most numbers but deliberately chose 11 to mark his mother’s birth month,a choice that ended up changing his life.
He bought 12 tickets at Dh50 each and was sitting on his sofa when he discovered he’d won. Shock quickly turned into reflection. “I just kept thinking how I should use this money wisely,” he said. His first thoughts were to invest carefully and focus on doing something meaningful.
Bolla dreams of buying a supercar and celebrating at a luxury resort, but his biggest goal is to bring his family to the UAE and live together. Above all, he wants to fulfil his parents’ modest dreams and ensure they have everything they ever wanted.
He also plans to donate part of his winnings to those in need. “Helping people gives me real happiness,” he said.
As he expressed gratitude to the UAE Lottery, Bolla said he hopes the initiative continues to change lives. Winning so close to Diwali, he added, felt like a divine blessing, a new beginning filled with hope and light.
